The invention relates to a centrifuge, in particular a separator, having a rotatable centrifuge drum with a vertical axis of rotation and a non-rotatable, positionally fixed housing, which has a hood and preferably a solids collector.
EP 1 090 687 A1 discloses a separator with a drum and with a hood surrounding the drum, the housing wall of which hood, as per FIG. 2 of said citation, has three spaced-apart walls. Of the cavities formed between the walls, a first cavity accommodates a coolant and a second cavity accommodates a noise insulation medium. This construction is relatively complex.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a centrifuge with a positionally fixed, multi-part housing with a hood and a solids collector, wherein at least the housing ensures a cooling action and a noise deadening action and is furthermore distinguished by a simpler and more compact design.
The invention achieves said object by providing a centrifuge according to the invention, in particular a separator, having a rotatable centrifuge drum with a vertical axis of rotation and a positionally fixed housing. Here, the positionally fixed housing—in particular a hood, a solids collector and/or a frame—has at least one first cavity. The one cavity is filled with deadening material which is in a solid state of aggregation at a corresponding process and/or ambient temperature and which permits deadening of vibrations and noise deadening. A fluid coolant, preferably a liquid, can be introduced into the cavity filled with solid deadening media.
As a result of the combination of coolant and gravel filling, it is achieved, with a compact design, that the rigidity, the mass and also the damping and thus the vibration characteristics of the overall system are advantageously influenced.
As a result of the combination of “coolant” and “deadening material” functions in one and the same cavity, it is achieved that noise deadening, and simultaneously a good distribution of the coolant within the cavity, in particular between the first inner wall and the first outer wall of the housing (on the hood, on the solids collector and/or on the frame), are realized in a compact design.
The design is furthermore optimized in terms of installation space, and is particularly compact, in relation to the prior art.
The first outer wall and/or the first inner wall may have at least one first coolant inlet line and one first coolant outlet line for the introduction and discharge of the fluid coolant into and out of the first cavity filled with solid deadening media.
To prevent a build-up of the coolant and to achieve a particularly good distribution of the coolant over the region of the inner wall of the hood, it is advantageous if, as bulk material, use is made of gravel which has for example a bulk density of 1.4 to 2 kg/dm3 (depending on dampness). The material and bulk density should be such that liquid can easily flow around the bulk material or through the space with the bulk material. A bulk material which becomes saturated with the liquid and does not permit a throughflow, or permits only a very limited throughflow, is thus not suitable. It can be determined in tests whether both the deadening, and also the passage of liquid in the case of a bulk material, meet the requirements.
Here, for a particularly advantageous compact design, it is adequate for the housing, in particular the hood, to be of merely double-walled construction.
From EP 1 090 687 A1, it is known, inter alia, for foamed material to be used as bulk material for noise insulation in a hood. However, foamed material can under some circumstances swell up upon contact with the coolant. It is therefore advantageous to use inorganic solid matter for the bulk material.
To prevent blockage of the coolant outlet line by particles, for example in the form of sand or glass beads, it is furthermore advantageous for the deadening material to be in the form of bulk material in the form of elements, in particular balls, composed of stone, ceramic, glass, stainless steel or plastic. A wide variety of material combinations of the stated elements are also contemplated.
For the most uniform cooling possible, the radial distance between the first inner wall and the first outer wall may advantageously be formed so as to be constant over a partial region of the centrifuge drum, preferably over at least one third of the axial length of the hood.
The centrifuge has at least one solids accumulating chamber, which is advantageously delimited by at least one second inner wall, a cavity filled with bulk material, and a second outer wall, wherein the second cavity can be filled with a coolant. This permits additional cooling of the solids in the solids accumulating chamber, which is advantageous in particular in the case of temperature-sensitive solids products.
To ensure complete filling of the first cavity, it is advantageous for the first coolant inlet to be arranged lower on the outer wall than the first coolant outlet. Here, it is particularly advantageous for the first coolant outlet to be arranged at the upper end of the first cavity, such that complete and comprehensive coolant filling is achieved.
To realize cooling with a greater or lesser level of intensity, it is advantageous if the volume flow of coolant into the cavity can be regulated.
Elements of the housing may additionally be provided with noise-deadening coatings such as bitumen coatings, in order to further optimize the noise deadening.
The bulk material may, but need not imperatively, be composed of round elements such as balls. The elements of the bulk material may have any desired shape as long as intermediate spaces for a throughflow of the cooling liquid are formed. In particular, the elements need not be identical, but rather may also have different shapes. It is also contemplated for different bulk materials to be combined in order to achieve particularly good noise deadening.
The invention is suitable for centrifuges of a variety of types, in particular separators and decanters.
Different variants of the invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of the drawing.